Slot Cover for a Modular Firearm Hand Guard

ABSTRACT

A slot cover accessory comprising a top portion with vertically extending walls from a top surface to a bottom surface with a bottom side having a groove extending horizontally along the length of the bottom surface with at least one groove having a flexible tab movable to engage a slot on the hand guard of a modular mounting platform thereby enabling the attachment of the accessory to the mounting platform.

Currently, firearms, particularly, rifles can be utilized for a vast number of situations. From the average civilian shooter to Special Forces, users choose to fit their rifles with a variety of attachments such as flashlights, laser sights, telescopic sights and bipods. For this purpose, a few mounting platforms have been developed. One such platform is the picatinny rail, which has become a standard mounting platform. The rail has a number of evenly spaced transverse slots on its top spanning across the rail. Such rails are typically placed on the weapons receiver. This rail allows a user to mount attachments directly onto the rifle. This mounting platform is not without fault as attachments cannot lie flat on the rifle, and can impede other accessories due to the height of the transverse slots. Therefore, a few different mounting platforms were designed to retain strength, but also allow attachments to lie flat on the rail system. One issue with these platforms is that they must be secured with a screw and nut in order to be attached. One such platform is the Modular Locking System, M-LOK, which is a system suitable for attachment of polymer products. Polymer products are durable, cheap, and easily manufactured, hence it is a good alternative to non-plastic firearm attachments. The M-LOK mounting system is a mounting platform that utilizes a screw and nut method of attachment. This is frustrating to users when they want to quickly attach and detach accessories from the rail. Therefore, the modular locking system slot cover disclosed and claimed herein is intended to provide a modular hand guard slot cover that requires no screws or nuts for attachment. Through the provided modular slots on a hand guard, a user can attach an accessory onto the mounting platform.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to firearms, and more specifically, to an attachable slot cover for a modular hand guard mounting platform.

SUMMARY

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a slot cover as an accessory to a firearm equipped with a modular hand guard mounting platform. Another object of the present invention is to provide a slot cover having a top portion forming a top surface, and tabs protruding from the bottom surface of the top portion. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a slot cover wherein said tabs are flexible and lock in the slot via a groove situated between the underside of the top portion and the tabs. The present invention overcomes the issues of prior modular mountable slot covers by providing a slot cover comprising a top portion having a top surface with vertically extending exterior walls to a bottom surface with said bottom surface transitioned into a groove extending horizontally along the bottom surface and formed into two flexible tabs situated to engage the slot of a modular mounting platform.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention, Slot Cover for a Modular Firearm Hand Guard, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which reference numbers designate the parts throughout the figures to enable the reader to understand the reasoning behind and the application of the present invention and wherein;

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the present invention (1), showing two grooves (4) extending outwardly from the bottom surface (3) and transitioning into two tabs (5).

FIG. 2 illustrates the present invention (1) showing its bottom surface (3) vertically extending into a top surface (2). Tabs (5) are also shown and extends from grooves (4) transitioned from the bottom surface (3).

FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of the present invention (1) and its bottom surface (3) extending into grooves (4) and transitioned to tabs (5). 

1. A panel system for covering a section of a firearm hand guard modular mounting platform, the modular mounting platform comprising rounded rectangular cross sectional slots, and the panel system comprising: a top portion having a top surface, bottom surface, and exterior walls; and a bottom portion having a pair of grooves extended into flexible tabs.
 2. A panel system attachable to a modular mounting platform with a top portion comprising: a top surface with a width of at least 5 millimeters; and at least four outer walls extending vertically from the bottom surface to the top surface.
 3. A panel system attachable to a modular mounting platform with a bottom portion comprising: a pair of grooves, extending horizontally the length and proximally situated, on the bottom surface from claim 2; and a pair of flexible tabs extending outwardly from the said groove so that the panel can be inserted and secured to a slot on the modular mounting platform. 